European Union (EU) says the newly-launched €60 million (K120 billion) Ulimi ndi Chilengedwe (Uchi) programme will diversify agriculture by supporting preservation, restoration and regeneration of the country’s natural resource base and diverse ecosystem.
EU Delegation Ambassador Rune Skinnebach, speaking yesterday during the launch jointly held with the programme stakeholders in Lilongwe, said the intervention under its Global Gateway initiative seeks to increase agricultural productivity and climate resilience in 10 districts nationwide.
display copies of signed agreements. | George Lumwira
He said while agriculture is a key sector of Malawi’s economy and part of the agriculture, tourism and mining (ATM) economic revival strategy, the sector is not contributing much to economic development and meeting people’s needs.
Said Skinnebach: “The €60 million Uchi programme, under Global Gateway which we launched today, is helping the process because it is the programme that helps to diversify agriculture sector. It’s a programme that helps to make agriculture more resilient both on climate change and also economically.”
In his remarks, Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Owen Chomanika said the five-year programme covers almost 40 percent of the country.
He said its effective implementation could bring significant change in terms of agricultural productivity.
Said Chomanika: “It aligns closely with our aspirations as outlined in the Malawi 2063 Vision, national policies guiding Agriculture, Health, and Trade, and the Malawi Implementation Plan [2021-2030].”
Meanwhile, Secretary for Natural Resources and Climate Change Yusuf Nkungula has said the programme will provide solutions to critical challenges the country is facing in natural resource management.
Population growth and over-reliance on firewood and charcoal for cooking have placed immense pressure on the environment as the country’s forest cover is declining at a rate of approximately 2 percent per year.
Among others, the programme looks at replacing vegetative cover and increasing agricultural productivity to achieve sustainable agricultural production and resilience to climate change.
